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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22946251">Buttercup Melody</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the10amongstthese3s/pseuds/the10amongstthese3s'>the10amongstthese3s</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Six - Marlow/Moss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beheaded Cousins, Family Fluff, Fluff, Jane is a hip mum, stardew valley owns my soul, stormy weather is the only setting that matters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:36:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,498</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22946251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the10amongstthese3s/pseuds/the10amongstthese3s</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aragon, Cleves, and Parr's flight home is delayed due to storms, the beheaded cousins decide to distract Jane from her anxiety with video games. A respectable queen could never enjoy such silly activities, though. Could she?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>140</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Buttercup Melody</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Video games never appealed to Jane Seymour.</p>
<p>Why would someone waste hours shooting zombies or racing cars when you could be baking or cleaning? It didn’t seem nearly as relaxing as sitting with a cup of tea and knitting a blanket for Kit, or watching a movie with Cleves. Not even close to the level of fun she had dancing around with Aragon during their weekly Zumba class. And, of course, nowhere near as productive as cleaning the house, or making sure everyone’s laundry was washed and folded.</p>
<p>Still though, Jane chose to encourage Anne’s juvenile hobby, knowing better than to discourage something that brought her such joy. Even if she didn’t understand it, Jane could see how much fun Kit, Cleves and Anne all seemed to have together playing their games.</p>
<p>That’s why, one bleak evening in February, Jane didn’t mind being stuck on the couch whilst Kit and Anne rambled about the games they’d been playing. In fact, she found it rather amusing how the girls attempted to indoctrinate her, proposing game after game that she should try because she would “totally love it!”</p>
<p>They even got her to try a few after almost an hour of convincing. </p>
<p>The first game they tried - Call of Duty - had far too much bloodshed for Jane’s liking, so that was instantly out of the question. Even in a game, she felt guilty causing anybody harm. They needed something less violent. </p>
<p>Perhaps an adventure game?</p>
<p>No. Tomb Raider was too action-filled for Jane. The poor woman couldn’t understand the controls or where she was supposed to go. Still though, she tried, allowing the girls to coach her through the level for as long as they could take it.</p>
<p>Maybe something more old fashioned would be a better fit? A classic.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for them to realise that Jane most certainly did not have the coordination to play Mario games. Or any platformers for that matter. The timing of her jumping was always off, leading to at least thirty deaths before they decided to give it up as a bad job.</p>
<p>Seeing the look of disappointment on her girls’ faces, Jane gave a sympathetic smile and kissed both of them on their foreheads, reassuring them that it was okay. </p>
<p>“You two find a game to play without me, okay? I’ll go make you some hot chocolate,” Jane hummed, finally finding a way to escape the situation. She loved her fellow queens but gosh were her thumbs sore from the unfamiliar controller. Her head was beginning to hurt from all the light and colour too.</p>
<p>Video games just weren’t Jane Seymour’s 'thing’.</p>
<p>Taking her time making the mugs of hot chocolate, Jane stared through the window at the falling sleet that was collecting on the ground like millions of icy marbles. The sound of them rattling against the roof was enough to send a chill up your spine.</p>
<p>It really was still winter.</p>
<p>Perhaps there would be snowfall later that night? Anything would be better than the constant shower of golf ball-like ice cubes they’d been getting. The storm was the only thing keeping the others from returning home. All flights home had been cancelled until further notice, leaving the three stranded in Ireland.</p>
<p>At least they were together. If it had been one of the queens by herself, Jane’s heart of stone may have crumbled with worry.</p>
<p>Letting her mind wander, Jane barely even noticed the milk bubbling in the pot, beckoning her to finally mix in the rich, German cocoa powder Cleves had bought them. Even Aragon, who didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, had to admit that the sweet scent of that hot chocolate became more and more irresistible with every sprinkling of the fine powder.</p>
<p>Ever the perfectionist, Jane finally dragged her eyes away from the window, once again lovingly tending to the pot. She made sure to add plenty of whipped cream and mini marshmallows, topping the two with an extra dusting of the much-loved cocoa powder, before making her way back to the living room.</p>
<p>Feeling the cold, Anne and Kit were wrapped up in a blanket now, Kit snuggled up in her older cousin’s lap, both staring up at the TV. A game Jane didn’t recognise was on screen. An odd, old fashioned yet strangely modern-looking game. Anne had told her about that style before, she was sure. 16-bit? It was the sort of thing you’d see on the older systems, but the colours were so bright and clear that Jane knew this game had to be relatively new.</p>
<p>This wasn’t like the other games Jane had seen. There was no violence or action, no complicated controls or urgent tasks. In fact, it was rather relaxing to watch as Kit’s sprite planted a new row of blueberries or mined a new artefact.</p>
<p>Stardew Valley, Jane would soon learn, was the name of the game.</p>
<p>After a while, Kit got bored of playing and handed the controller to Jane, smiling away as she showed her how to make her own little sprite. She always did love introducing the motherly woman to new things and Jane could never resist the adorable teenager’s enthusiasm.</p>
<p>For once, Jane rather enjoyed the concept of a game. There were no consequences for misunderstanding an instruction; just soothing music and simple tasks. </p>
<p>After around half an hour of watching the woman play, Kit and Anne decided to make their way to bed, the dreary weather taking its toll, making them far sleepier than usual. Of course, Jane followed closely behind, making sure the girls were safely tucked up before going to her own room.</p>
<p>Laying in bed though, Jane couldn’t seem to drift off. The house was too quiet without Aragon, Cleves, and Parr, even with the thrashing of the violent storm outside. All she could hear was the voice of her anxiety burrowing away in her mind with stories of plane crashes and abductions.</p>
<p>No, Jane couldn’t sleep. </p>
<p>Giving a sigh, the woman made her way back downstairs, making a cup of tea before relaxing on the couch. As she went to turn the TV on though, something caught her eye. Anne’s Nintendo Switch was still plugged in.</p>
<p>No, she couldn’t possibly!</p>
<p>
  <em>…Could she?</em>
</p>
<p>After a moment of debating, Jane turned on the system and retrieved the controller from the coffee table. Another half-hour couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, perhaps focusing on that would help her to relax enough to finally get some rest. It was a foolproof plan!</p>
<p>Or it would have been, if not for just how addictive the simple game had become within a matter of minutes. </p>
<p>Jane never actually took herself to bed that night. It was 8am when Kit found her fast asleep on the couch, the controller resting in her limp hand. Giving a smirk, the teen quickly snapped a picture and sent it to the others before covering the motherly queen with a blanket, setting down the controller in its charging station.</p>
<p>When Jane finally woke that day, there was already a cup of tea placed in front of her and two faces grinning up at her.</p>
<p>“You hate video games, huh?” Anne teased, making the woman blush.</p>
<p>Had she really fallen asleep playing a game like some caffeine-driven fifteen year old boy? Surely not. No respectable queen would ever… Those giggles were undeniable. She most certainly had passed out whilst ‘gaming’. Honestly though, remembering all she had done in the game, Jane couldn’t feel any regret. Besides, at least it distracted her from her worry for a few hours.</p>
<p>“Oh! Hand me the controller, please, one of you,” Jane mused, quickly forgetting her embarrassment. “Girls, look what I got!”</p>
<p>On-screen, a beautiful, colour-coded farm appeared. In it stood a barn with one little cow inside. The name hovering over the cow’s head made the girls chuckles grow into full-blown cackles. </p>
<p>Aragon.</p>
<p>She definitely wasn’t going to appreciate that when she got home!</p>
<p>Over the next few days, Anne loaned her Switch to Jane, giving the woman the freedom to explore the game as much as she liked. It seemed to calm her anxieties too, taking her mind off of the vacationing queens.</p>
<p>It was nice to see Jane enjoying herself, putting her time towards something so mellow and insignificant rather than allowing herself to give in to stress. The house seemed more relaxed, that much was certain. Well, until Jane started babbling about her farm, giving Anne relentless fuel for teasing that she knew she didn’t have the heart to use.</p>
<p>“Annie, look how big my melons are!” The woman had declared one day, resulting in the girl absolutely howling, gripping her chest as tears of pure joy streamed down her face. </p>
<p>Maybe video games weren’t so bad, after all, Jane had to admit.</p>
<p>No, so long as you’re enjoying yourself, no hours are wasted hours. That was a lesson Jane had been late to learn, but an important one, nevertheless.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading as always, ducklings! Sorry I disappeared for so long. I hope this was a nice fluffy return! 💚 It was recently the four year anniversary of Stardew Valley's release, so it seemed fitting to finally write down the idea I've had stuck on a post-it note above my desk for the past few months. That game's helped me through a lot - perhaps it could do the same for Jane. We all need help relaxing sometimes 🦆</p></blockquote></div></div>
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